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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. band — a music group
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. press — to push
  5. suit — clothes
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — finally
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. spring — the season
  12. suit — to fit
  13. craft — a skill
  14. press — a publisher
  15. craft — boats
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. last — final
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a ring
  22. spring — of water
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fall — to drop

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