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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. clip — to cut
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pit — a hole
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pit — in a race
  12. clip — for paper
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rock — a stone
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a ring
  19. bank — for money
  20. rock — music
  21. clip — a video
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. press — to push

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