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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — a container
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fork — in a road
  11. row — to paddle
  12. mug — a cup
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. press — to push
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mug — a face
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rest — what's left
  23. row — a line
  24. stand — to bear

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