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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: object · saw · mark · press · march · rush · band · wind

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — a publisher
  4. band — a music group
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a ring
  14. object — an aim
  15. wind — moving air
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — a grade
  18. press — to push
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. march — music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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