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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 116 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: spring · racket · press · band · saw · rock · dip · spell

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. rock — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. spell — magic
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. band — a music group
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rock — a stone
  15. press — newspapers
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spell — letters
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. press — to push
  24. saw — the tool

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