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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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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — to push
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bear — the animal
  14. tube — a container
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — the fruit
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. coach — a trainer

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