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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. content — the amount
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a music group
  7. spell — a short time
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — for a lock
  10. spell — letters
  11. content — happy
  12. spell — magic
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — to push
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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