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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kid — child
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to point toward
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. press — to push
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. press — a publisher

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