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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · press · calf · plane · hide · firm · band · content

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. firm — decided
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. band — a music group
  9. press — a publisher
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — steady
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. content — happy
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. content — the amount
  18. firm — a company
  19. press — newspapers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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