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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. present — the time now
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. net — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — to go on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. tube — the underground
  23. present — there
  24. bulb — for light

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