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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · cabinet · band · coach · stick · face · bank · bat

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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. face — part of the head
  4. face — to confront
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. band — a ring
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — to point toward
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — high quality
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fine — all right
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a music group
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — the animal

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