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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: present · bank · wind · mug · season · band · mate · chip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — a partner
  3. band — a music group
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. present — the time now
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — a friend
  11. band — a ring
  12. season — of the year
  13. present — there
  14. mug — a cup
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — of a river
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bank — for money

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