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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. mug — to rob
  4. object — an aim
  5. rest — what's left
  6. object — to protest
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bank — of a river
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — a thing
  13. bank — for money
  14. mug — a cup
  15. file — a tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — to push
  18. band — a music group
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — a break
  21. press — newspapers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  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