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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: jam · present · band · wake · tube · bay · roll · cabinet

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. present — there
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wake — a trail
  9. roll — a list
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. tube — the underground
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. present — the time now
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. band — a music group
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. cabinet — ministers

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