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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bass — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pop — music
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. press — to push
  16. wind — moving air
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — low music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tube — the underground
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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