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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. toast — bread
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — a list
  5. bear — the animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mark — a trace
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. roll — a cake
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a music group
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wax — to grow

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