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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.

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: key · bank · tube · fan · tear · rash · band · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — a series
  9. key — in music
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — the most important part
  13. tear — from crying
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tear — to rip
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tear — from crying
  18. band — a music group
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — a container

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