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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bass — low music
  3. last — finally
  4. spell — magic
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. last — to go on
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bass — the fish
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rock — a stone
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. press — a publisher
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rock — music

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