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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: rule · band · pitcher · straw · bank · mouse · firm · leaves

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. firm — a company
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. band — a ring
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — decided
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. band — a music group
  20. firm — steady
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — to rule out

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