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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 120 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: prune · degree · rest · mouse · spell · band · face · bass

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. bass — low music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — the fish
  8. spell — magic
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — letters
  14. degree — temperature
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to confront
  19. degree — from a university
  20. band — a ring
  21. rest — a break
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mouse — the animal

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