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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. press — to push
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. band — a music group
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. spell — a short time
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bank — for money

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