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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. field — for sport
  5. key — in music
  6. spring — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spring — of water
  11. band — a ring
  12. press — newspapers
  13. field — farmland
  14. band — a music group
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. field — a subject
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. prune — to trim

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