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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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a music group
  4. craft — boats
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. toast — bread
  7. bound — tied together
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. press — newspapers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — a stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bound — certain
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rock — music
  24. band — a ring

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