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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: bank · temple · band · capital · kick · bulb · mine · patient

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. capital — a city
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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