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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. band — a ring
  5. craft — boats
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. craft — a skill
  10. press — to push
  11. march — the month
  12. key — in music
  13. press — a publisher
  14. march — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tube — the underground
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tube — a container
  24. stand — to bear

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