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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: face · drill · bowl · ruler · bank · stem · band · race

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. drill — a practice
  6. band — a music group
  7. drill — army training
  8. face — to confront
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bank — of a river
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. face — part of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. race — humankind
  19. face — to point toward
  20. band — a ring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. drill — the tool

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