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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 120 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: press · hide · band · last · mate · swing · object · rule

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. mate — a partner
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. swing — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. rule — a law
  7. band — a ring
  8. object — a thing
  9. swing — in golf
  10. object — an aim
  11. press — to push
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — to breed
  16. object — to protest
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rule — government
  19. last — finally
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. swing — to play on
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. last — final
  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