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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 124 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. squash — to crush
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — to push
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. season — in sport
  17. press — a publisher
  18. band — a music group
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bulb — for light

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