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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: shower · pass · plane · spell · mate · wake · toast · band

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. band — a ring
  3. mate — to breed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. band — a music group
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wake — a trail
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. shower — rain
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mate — a partner
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spell — magic

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