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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. suit — to fit
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — newspapers
  6. suit — in cards
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a music group
  9. firm — steady
  10. press — a publisher
  11. band — a ring
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — to drop
  15. press — to push
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — the season
  18. suit — clothes
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tube — the underground
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — a container

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