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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: toast · band · spring · lean · bank · stand · bore · chip

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lean — thin
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. spring — of water
  8. toast — bread
  9. bank — for money
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — to bear
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. lean — to bend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — the season

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