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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: fall · foot · wound · cabinet · band · bank · rush · track

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — a song
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — a path
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. band — a ring
  13. rush — hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fall — the season
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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