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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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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: season · last · band · bass · staff · roll · wave · toast

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. roll — a list
  3. toast — bread
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. roll — a cake
  6. last — final
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — a stick
  15. season — of the year
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — to go on
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a ring
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — low music

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