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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: band · bear · bank · last · ground · chair · saw · nail

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a music group
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. band — a ring
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. last — final
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — finally
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. ground — a position
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bank — for money
  24. chair — to sit on

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