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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — child
  13. race — the arms race
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lean — to bend
  22. race — humankind
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lean — to rest against

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