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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. press — a publisher
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kick — in football
  14. roll — a list
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. press — to push
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wax — to grow
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wax — in the ear

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