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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: bay · fan · toast · face · last · band · spell · roll

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — finally
  10. band — a ring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. toast — bread
  13. band — a music group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. roll — a list
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. spell — letters
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. face — to confront

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