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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. content — happy
  7. press — newspapers
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — a series
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. band — a ring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. content — the amount
  23. face — to confront
  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