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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: spell · band · object · toast · dip · content · present · kid

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — a gift
  4. band — a music group
  5. present — there
  6. object — to protest
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — the time now
  10. toast — bread
  11. kid — to tease
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. band — a ring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. spell — magic
  17. kid — child
  18. spell — letters
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. object — an aim
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. content — happy

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