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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ball — a dance
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — a face
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — bread
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — to fit
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ball — a great time
  22. mug — to rob
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. spell — letters

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