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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: cabinet · face · band · squash · row · press · last · pit

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. last — finally
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to confront
  10. squash — the sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — final
  13. face — to point toward
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a music group
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. last — to go on
  22. row — a line
  23. band — a ring
  24. squash — to crush

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