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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — part of the head
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — ground
  10. face — to confront
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — a country
  14. bank — of a river
  15. face — to point toward
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. squash — the sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. toast — the most admired

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