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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: arm · stand · press · tube · nail · mark · tear · band

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. press — a publisher
  3. band — a ring
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. band — a music group
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tube — a container
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — to bear
  24. nail — for a hammer

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