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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: band · dip · bank · pound · arm · mine · stick · chest

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chest — a box
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a music group
  6. bank — of a river
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mine — for digging
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a ring
  24. chest — of your body

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