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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. band — a music group
  7. land — ground
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — to come down
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. press — to push
  12. bound — certain
  13. vault — a safe
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bound — obliged
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. band — a ring
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bound — tied together
  21. craft — boats
  22. land — a country
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — a publisher

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