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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — to come down
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. tube — a container
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — the underground

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