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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 · content · hide · nail · leaves · press · spell · perch

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — letters
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — the amount
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. press — to push
  24. content — videos and posts

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