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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — low music
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bass — the fish
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chest — a box
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — high quality
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. board — a committee
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — all right
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. board — to get on
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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