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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rash — a series
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mine — for digging
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a music group

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