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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: toast · lean · bound · race · bass · band · ball · object

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. race — the arms race
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. lean — thin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. race — humankind
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. toast — bread
  11. bound — certain
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. object — a thing
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. band — a ring
  18. bound — obliged
  19. band — a music group
  20. bass — low music
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — tied together
  24. lean — to rest against

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