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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. press — newspapers
  4. file — a line of people
  5. present — a gift
  6. press — to push
  7. band — a ring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mate — a partner
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. lean — thin
  16. band — a music group
  17. mate — a friend
  18. file — a document
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. press — a publisher
  22. dip — to sink
  23. current — of water
  24. file — 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