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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · toast · race · band · stem · object · rash · rest

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rash — a series
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. band — a music group
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — an aim
  10. toast — bread
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. race — a contest
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. rest — a break
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. band — a ring
  24. race — humankind

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