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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 120 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: band · board · mate · rush · press · rash · row · perch

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a line
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. band — a music group
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a friend
  18. band — a ring
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a partner

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