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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: band · face · jam · cabinet · march · wave · tube · prune

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. march — music
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — the month
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. prune — to trim
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  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