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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 · lie · mug · spell · chair · fork · press · current

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a music group
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spell — magic
  15. current — of water
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mug — a face
  24. press — newspapers

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