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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. band — a music group
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. press — a publisher
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — to push
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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