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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a ring
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — for money
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — in music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a music group
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com