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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. rush — hurry
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. press — to push
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bank — for money
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — newspapers
  15. charge — in control
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. band — a ring
  20. bank — for money
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a music group
  24. rush — a thrill

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