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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.

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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 · cap · band · tear · game · mark · file · press

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. press — newspapers
  4. game — a match
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a tool
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. file — a document
  12. band — a ring
  13. file — a line of people
  14. band — a music group
  15. tear — from crying
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — to push
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — a publisher
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bank — for money
  24. cap — a lid

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