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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: hand · perch · wave · season · band · pound · press · plane

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — to push
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hand — help
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pound — a weight
  18. season — of the year
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. press — newspapers
  24. season — in sport

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