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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. pop — music
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spell — magic
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pop — soda
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. spell — letters
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — bread
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lean — thin
  23. band — a ring
  24. spell — a short time

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