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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — final
  5. bound — certain
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tube — the underground
  8. press — to push
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wax — to grow
  16. last — finally
  17. bass — low music
  18. bound — tied together
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pop — soda
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tube — a container
  24. last — to go on

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