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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. cell — a phone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — to push
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. tube — the underground
  12. cell — in biology
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cap — a lid
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter

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