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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: pass · saw · mate · can · face · band · bass · bank

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — low music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bank — for money
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pass — a permit
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. band — a ring
  16. bass — the fish
  17. face — to confront
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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