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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: band · rush · mine · ruler · cold · arm · bank · hand

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bank — for money
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cold — an illness
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — for digging
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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