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

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tube — the underground
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. tube — a container
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bear — the animal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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