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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spell — letters
  4. press — newspapers
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mug — a face
  10. object — to protest
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — magic
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — a thing
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. press — to push
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. object — an aim
  24. band — a rubber band

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