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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: roll · hand · band · object · last · leaves · firm · wave

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — an aim
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. object — a thing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. firm — steady
  14. hand — in cards
  15. firm — decided
  16. object — to protest
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. roll — a list
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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