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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. press — a publisher
  9. lean — thin
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. tube — the underground
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — a container

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