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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: face · suit · toast · fall · roll · band · tube · staff

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. band — a ring
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. face — to confront
  5. suit — clothes
  6. roll — a cake
  7. suit — in cards
  8. band — a music group
  9. staff — employees
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — to point toward
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — a list
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. fall — to drop

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