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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. cue — a hint
  3. press — newspapers
  4. band — a ring
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cue — a signal
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — the month
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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