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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. band — a ring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. face — to point toward
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wound — an injury
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. face — to confront
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. band — a rubber band

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