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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. press — newspapers
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. band — a music group
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — a sick person

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