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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bound — tied together
  3. band — a ring
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. press — newspapers
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — a publisher
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — to go away

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