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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: fall · tear · mug · leaves · press · club · band · chip

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. club — for golf
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mug — to rob
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mug — a cup
  12. chip — for betting
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a face
  15. club — a group
  16. fall — the season
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — to eat
  19. press — to push
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. band — a ring
  24. club — for dancing

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