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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. band — a ring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tear — from crying
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pop — music
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. pop — to visit
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — soda
  24. band — a rubber band

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