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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
468
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: toast · spell · bank · rush · band · stick · kid · sharp

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — letters
  6. band — a music group
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. toast — bread
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a ring
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kid — child
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kid — to tease

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