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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — in football
  3. press — to push
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pound — a weight
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. land — ground
  11. wax — to grow
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. charge — in control
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. charge — electricity
  22. press — newspapers
  23. charge — a price
  24. vault — a safe

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