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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. object — an aim
  4. rash — a series
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tear — to rip
  7. press — a publisher
  8. object — to protest
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a music group
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tear — from crying
  15. band — a ring
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. object — a thing
  18. tear — from crying

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