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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. current — of water
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — a position
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wax — to grow
  13. scale — in music
  14. current — happening now
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — electric
  19. press — to push
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. spell — letters
  22. tube — a container
  23. face — to point toward
  24. spell — a short time

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