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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: band · fall · ruler · sharp · spell · squash · bass · bank

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. band — a ring
  3. fall — the season
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fall — to drop
  6. band — a music group
  7. squash — the sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — low music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bass — the fish
  20. spell — letters
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. squash — to crush

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