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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: current · saw · rest · bound · lie · toast · bass · band

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a ring
  3. current — electric
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. current — happening now
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bound — tied together
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. current — of water
  20. bass — low music
  21. rest — a break
  22. band — a music group
  23. bound — obliged
  24. toast — the most admired

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