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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. press — to push
  8. band — a music group
  9. rule — government
  10. court — of a king
  11. rule — a law
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. court — of law
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. court — for sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. press — newspapers
  19. foot — a measure
  20. band — a ring
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — clothes

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