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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: suit · ball · branch · face · band · rush · object · last

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — clothes
  4. branch — a division
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. last — finally
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. face — part of the head
  11. ball — a great time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. band — a music group
  14. last — final
  15. object — an aim
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a dance
  20. suit — in cards
  21. face — to confront
  22. last — to go on
  23. object — a thing
  24. rush — to hurry

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