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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. march — the month
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — low music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. press — a publisher
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. march — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. band — a ring
  23. bass — the instrument
  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