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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. plane — a tool
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ground — the earth
  7. press — newspapers
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. press — a publisher
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — a container
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bound — obliged
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — crushed
  20. drill — army training
  21. bound — certain
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — the underground
  24. drill — a practice

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