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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. press — to push
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. file — a tool
  9. tube — a container
  10. cue — a hint
  11. press — a publisher
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. file — a document
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cue — for pool
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spell — letters
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cue — a signal

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