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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: bass · toast · season · wave · lie · racket · band · wound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. band — a ring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. season — of the year
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. toast — bread
  24. racket — a loud noise

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