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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 116 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: bank · present · ball · wake · band · mine · mate · bear

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. present — there
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — the time now
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — for money
  23. ball — a dance
  24. band — a ring

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