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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bank — for money
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. firm — a company
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. branch — a division
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rock — a stone
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. band — a music group
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. firm — decided

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