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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: present · staff · band · branch · toast · shower · hide · track

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. band — a ring
  3. shower — rain
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a music group
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. track — a path
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — the time now
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. toast — bread
  19. staff — a stick
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. track — a song

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