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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: bat · date · spring · band · safe · sharp · nail · press

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spring — the season
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — a coil
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a ring
  14. spring — of water
  15. bat — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — newspapers
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. safe — out of danger

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