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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: spell · bay · club · press · bear · face · band · tube

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — the underground
  17. band — a ring
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. spell — a short time
  20. band — a music group
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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