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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · face · band · bass · wind · mine · bore · rest

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. band — a ring
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bank — for money
  5. bass — low music
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bank — for money
  11. bass — the fish
  12. face — to confront
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. face — part of the head
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rest — a break
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mine — for digging

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