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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: dip · band · deal · last · suit · bay · season · prune

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — final
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. season — in sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — of the year
  20. band — a music group
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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