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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hand — in cards
  5. last — finally
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. last — final
  9. band — a ring
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. band — a music group
  13. last — to go on
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — magic
  16. shower — rain
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — letters
  20. kick — in football
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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