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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. rash — a series
  7. mug — a face
  8. roll — a list
  9. band — a ring
  10. press — to push
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. roll — a cake
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rash — hasty
  19. band — a music group
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mine — for digging
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mug — to rob

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