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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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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 · pit · mine · ruler · trunk · wind · ball · bank

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bank — for money
  3. ball — a dance
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. band — a ring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pit — a hole
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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