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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: spring · lash · toast · spell · current · scale · band · track

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — happening now
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. band — a ring
  10. track — a path
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. current — of water
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — letters
  15. spring — the season
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. toast — bread
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — of water
  24. scale — size or range

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