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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.

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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. press — to push
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — ground
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. fine — high quality
  12. band — a music group
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. press — a publisher
  17. band — a ring
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — all right
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kid — child
  24. press — newspapers

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