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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. firm — a company
  5. bank — for money
  6. charge — in control
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bank — of a river
  9. band — a ring
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. bass — low music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wound — an injury
  18. firm — steady
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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