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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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rash — a series
  6. craft — boats
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — of a river
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a ring
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a music group
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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