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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: chair · ground · band · file · safe · lash · bass · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. band — a music group
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ground — a position
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — low music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bank — for money
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a document
  23. band — a ring
  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