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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. object — an aim
  3. band — a ring
  4. rock — music
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — a thing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rule — government
  9. net — in sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a music group
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — a law
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — to push
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving 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