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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — in sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. press — newspapers
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. press — to push
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — an amount
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — temperature
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. degree — from a university
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — a publisher
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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