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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  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. press — to push
  2. roll — a list
  3. press — a publisher
  4. cell — a phone
  5. firm — steady
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. firm — a company
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. capital — money
  12. firm — decided
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. prune — to trim
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. capital — a city
  22. prune — to trim
  23. roll — a cake
  24. press — newspapers

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