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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. band — a ring
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. roll — a cake
  6. band — a music group
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — letters
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pop — soda
  12. toast — bread
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — music
  18. bank — for money
  19. pop — music
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. march — the month

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