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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. object — a thing
  4. tube — the underground
  5. press — a publisher
  6. firm — steady
  7. press — to push
  8. object — to protest
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lie — to recline
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bound — obliged
  22. face — to confront
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — a company

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