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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: bank · band · rest · temple · mug · row · fan · chip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. chip — to eat
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a ring
  13. rest — a break
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bank — for money
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fan — a supporter

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