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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — the most important part
  3. can — a tin
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. can — to be able to
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. snap — to click
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — there
  13. tube — a container
  14. present — the time now
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. press — newspapers
  19. key — in music
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — to push
  22. present — a gift
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the sport

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