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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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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: mate · bore · kid · band · press · object · wave · toast

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bore — to tire
  3. band — a ring
  4. toast — bread
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. object — to protest
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. bore — to drill
  19. object — a thing
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. band — a music group
  22. kid — to tease
  23. press — to push
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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