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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. press — a publisher
  6. track — a song
  7. drill — a practice
  8. object — to protest
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — newspapers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a path
  16. press — to push
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — a container
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — an aim
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lean — thin

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