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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: lie · band · rush · press · spring · saw · object · bat

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — hurry
  5. press — newspapers
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. band — a music group
  20. object — to protest
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. object — a thing
  24. bat — for baseball

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