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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — rain
  14. capital — a city
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. press — a publisher
  18. band — a music group
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. capital — money
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. press — to push
  24. scale — size or range

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