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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.

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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: band · lash · march · last · safe · stick · root · press

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. last — to go on
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. press — newspapers
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. root — the cause
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. press — to push
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. band — a music group
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a ring

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