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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: craft · press · lie · rush · cap · band · hand · wound

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. craft — a skill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. cap — a hat
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. hand — help
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a ring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. band — a music group
  24. lie — to recline

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