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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: bound · wave · band · plane · mug · court · lash · toast

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. band — a ring
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bound — tied together
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bound — certain
  9. toast — bread
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mug — a face
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a music group
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. court — for sport

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