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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pop — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pop — to visit
  21. press — to push
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wind — moving air

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