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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: band · toast · straw · roll · branch · game · bay · leaves

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — wild animals
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. branch — a division
  14. roll — a list
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a music group
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. game — a match
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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