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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: land · dip · toast · band · object · leaves · squash · fork

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. land — to come down
  3. dip — to sink
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. land — ground
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. land — a country
  10. squash — to crush
  11. object — a thing
  12. toast — bread
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. squash — the sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fork — in a road
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. object — to protest
  24. fork — a garden tool

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