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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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 — the underground
  2. chest — of your body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. chest — a box
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. deal — to handle
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a music group
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. band — a ring
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — in a tire
  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