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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: band · tube · suit · bank · wake · game · bay · chair

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — the underground
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bank — for money
  8. band — a music group
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wake — a trail
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — a match
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bank — of a river
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tube — a container
  19. band — a ring
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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