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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
468
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: band · bore · rash · content · press · can · bay · key

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. key — in music
  4. can — a tin
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — a publisher
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rash — hasty
  14. key — for a lock
  15. content — happy
  16. press — to push
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a music group
  19. content — the amount
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rash — a series
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bay — a horse colour

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