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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: lean · band · mark · last · capital · fine · roll · bank

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. band — a ring
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fine — high quality
  7. capital — a city
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fine — all right
  10. last — to go on
  11. bank — for money
  12. band — a music group
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. roll — a cake
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — final
  21. capital — money
  22. last — finally
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bank — of a river

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