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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 120 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: leaves · rush · content · suit · bass · race · band · wake

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — low music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — the amount
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. race — humankind
  13. rush — hurry
  14. suit — to fit
  15. content — happy
  16. bass — the fish
  17. race — a contest
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wake — a trail
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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