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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 · temple · band · net · mine · bound · fall · board

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. board — a committee
  3. bound — certain
  4. band — a music group
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — to drop
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. band — a ring
  11. fall — to drop
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — after costs
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bound — tied together
  18. board — to get on
  19. net — in sport
  20. fall — the season
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — for money
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mine — for digging

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