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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. tube — the underground
  3. deal — to handle
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. firm — a company
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. firm — steady
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — a container
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. deal — an agreement

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