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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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Word bank
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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: object · chip · content · band · bank · lean · spell · cap

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — for betting
  6. object — to protest
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. content — happy
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. cap — a hat
  18. band — a ring
  19. spell — letters
  20. bank — of a river
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. band — a music group
  24. bank — for money

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