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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.

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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: can · band · rash · saw · last · spring · fork · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. band — a music group
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. can — to be able to
  10. band — a ring
  11. last — final
  12. bank — for money
  13. rash — hasty
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. saw — the tool
  17. last — finally
  18. bank — for money
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — in a road
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — to go 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