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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — a phone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. press — a publisher
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — a container
  21. capital — a city
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tube — in a tire

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