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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.

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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fall — to drop
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tube — the underground
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — to sink
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — moving air
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. press — newspapers
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — the season
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — a break
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tube — a container
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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