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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a ring
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. press — a publisher
  10. band — a music group
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. straw — dry grass

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