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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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 music group
  3. branch — a division
  4. spell — letters
  5. perch — the fish
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — happening now
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — of water
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. press — to push
  18. spell — magic
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a ring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. spell — a short time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. branch — of a bank

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