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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — boats
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. press — a publisher
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. content — the amount
  15. foot — a measure
  16. press — to push
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. drill — a practice
  23. band — a ring
  24. fan — to cool the air

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