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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — the sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — music
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. press — newspapers
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spring — of water
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — to grow

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