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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: tube · band · cap · firm · rush · bass · sharp · press

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bass — the fish
  9. tube — the underground
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. firm — decided
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — clever
  15. rush — hurry
  16. firm — a company
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. tube — a container
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. band — a music group

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