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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — the arms race
  12. swing — music
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — humankind
  18. band — a music group
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bark — to shout
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — to push
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — to play on

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