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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — newspapers
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. row — a line
  9. firm — a company
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — of the year
  12. band — a ring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. roll — a cake
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. firm — decided
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. object — an aim
  20. roll — a list
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. firm — steady
  23. row — to paddle
  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