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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 120 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: land · band · fan · leaves · mug · cold · safe · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. land — a country
  6. mug — a face
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cold — not warm
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. band — a music group
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — for money
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. band — a ring

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