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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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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 · cue · branch · foot · snap · toast · bear · band

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — a hint
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bear — the animal
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. band — a music group
  20. snap — to click
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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