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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: band · craft · mug · press · stick · staff · rash · track

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. craft — boats
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mug — a face
  5. staff — employees
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rash — a series
  9. track — a song
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — to rob
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rash — hasty
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — a skill
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. staff — a stick

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