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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
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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: march · band · prune · bear · suit · hide · net · straw

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. band — a ring
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. march — music
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. net — in sport
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. march — the month
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. net — for catching
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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