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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. band — a ring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — in sport
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. toast — bread
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bank — for money
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. tear — to rip
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. tear — from crying
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — to add flavour
  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