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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · jam · craft · kid · wave · pitcher · band · dip

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. craft — a skill
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kid — to tease
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. dip — to sink
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. band — a music group
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a ring
  23. kid — child
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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