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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
468
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 · cell · safe · prune · last · current · press · tube

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. band — a music group
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cell — in biology
  8. last — to go on
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — final
  14. cell — a phone
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. band — a ring
  17. tube — a container
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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