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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
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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: bay · saw · cap · jam · band · press · wave · hand

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. press — a publisher
  3. cap — a hat
  4. saw — the tool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a ring
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — to push
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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