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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · band · track · bank · straw · temple · press · tube

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a song
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. press — a publisher
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mine — for digging
  11. band — a ring
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — the underground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a music group
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bank — of a river
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. press — to push
  21. track — a path
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — newspapers

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