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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rash — a series
  5. band — a ring
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. band — a music group
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pop — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. suit — to fit
  22. press — to push
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pop — soda

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