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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: craft · band · can · bank · mate · roll · last · rule

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — a list
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rule — government
  9. mate — a friend
  10. roll — a cake
  11. last — finally
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — a partner
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — a law
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — to be able to
  20. last — to go on
  21. band — a ring
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — final

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