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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: trunk · pass · toast · bank · tear · racket · band · coach

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. band — a ring
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. tear — to rip
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. band — a music group
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pass — a permit
  22. toast — bread
  23. tear — from crying
  24. racket — for tennis

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