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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: safe · band · staff · squash · suit · toast · branch · pound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. suit — clothes
  7. squash — to crush
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — in cards
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. squash — the sport
  20. toast — bread
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — employees
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — a stick

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