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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. band — a ring
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — after costs
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — in sport
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stand — to bear
  23. band — a music group
  24. rush — a thrill

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