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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · press · mug · leaves · hide · degree · date · arm

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. band — a ring
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. degree — an amount
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. press — a publisher
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. degree — from a university
  11. press — to push
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — a cup
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. degree — temperature
  19. mug — to rob
  20. press — newspapers
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. date — the fruit
  24. band — a music group

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