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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 124 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ground — a position
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. band — a ring
  11. press — a publisher
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. ground — the earth
  14. scale — in music
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. roll — a list
  19. scale — size or range
  20. branch — a division
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ground — crushed
  24. foot — a measure

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