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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. chair — a leader
  3. press — newspapers
  4. last — final
  5. press — to push
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. can — to be able to
  9. last — finally
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. capital — money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. press — a publisher
  20. can — a tin
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. last — to go on
  24. tube — the underground

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