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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. press — to push
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pop — to visit
  9. drill — army training
  10. face — to point toward
  11. pop — soda
  12. bass — the fish
  13. face — to confront
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lean — thin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pop — music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tube — in a tire

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