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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: hand · rest · press · calf · toast · lash · jam · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — to push
  3. hand — help
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. band — a music group
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — a break
  16. band — a ring
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — in cards
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. press — a publisher

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