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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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Word bank
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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tube — a container
  3. mate — to breed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. press — to push
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cell — a phone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bulb — for light
  24. tube — in a tire

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