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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: staff · toast · temple · band · track · season · plane · firm

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. band — a music group
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. season — in sport
  11. toast — bread
  12. staff — employees
  13. track — to keep track
  14. staff — a stick
  15. band — a ring
  16. season — of the year
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a path
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — steady
  23. plane — a tool
  24. track — a song

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