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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. band — a ring
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. band — a music group
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — a committee
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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