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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. capital — a city
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. plane — a tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. press — to push
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — in music
  18. fork — in a road
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. tube — the underground
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. press — a publisher
  24. capital — money

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