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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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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: cabinet · bear · toast · net · band · present · rush · last

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. last — final
  7. present — a gift
  8. last — finally
  9. present — there
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. toast — bread
  15. band — a ring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — the time now
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — to go on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bear — to put up with

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