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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. fall — the season
  4. object — an aim
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tube — a container
  11. object — to protest
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — moving air
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fall — to drop
  17. object — a thing
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. date — the fruit
  20. press — to push
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. roll — a list
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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