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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. band — a ring
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. press — to push
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a tool
  11. content — the amount
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rock — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mate — to breed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — a trail
  24. press — a publisher

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