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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fall — to drop
  3. can — a tin
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — a publisher
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. can — a tin
  13. fall — the season
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. press — to push
  20. tube — the underground
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. tube — a container
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — to be able to

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