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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bound — obliged
  5. tube — a container
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pound — a weight
  11. press — to push
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tube — the underground
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bound — certain
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bass — the instrument

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