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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · press · cue · season · lie · band

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. cue — for pool
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. band — a ring
  10. cue — a hint
  11. band — a music group
  12. season — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — a signal
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the fish
  18. press — newspapers

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