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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: stick · rock · rush · bank · band · bore · chest · capital

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. bank — for money
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chest — of your body
  4. capital — a city
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bank — for money
  11. rush — hurry
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — a stone
  16. band — a music group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — to drill
  19. band — a ring
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chest — a box
  23. rock — music
  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