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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: bay · bear · last · vault · rush · swing · band · mug

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. last — finally
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. swing — to play on
  8. last — to go on
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mug — a face
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — final
  17. swing — music
  18. mug — a cup
  19. band — a music group
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rush — to hurry

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