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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: toast · bat · bore · bank · leaves · pit · temple · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bore — to drill
  4. toast — bread
  5. bank — for money
  6. band — a ring
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. band — a music group
  9. bat — the animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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