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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 · race · perch · trunk · pass · band · staff · chest

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. staff — employees
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chest — a box
  6. race — the arms race
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. race — humankind
  9. bank — of a river
  10. race — a contest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — employees
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. band — a music group
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pass — a permit
  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