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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. content — happy
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — boats
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a ring

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