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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — of the year
  4. file — a document
  5. bound — obliged
  6. press — newspapers
  7. band — a music group
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. band — a ring
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. press — a publisher
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. file — a tool
  18. press — to push
  19. season — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — certain
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. plane — a tool

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