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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rock — music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — a trace
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a ring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. band — a music group
  16. press — newspapers
  17. perch — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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