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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. file — a document
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. file — a tool
  5. press — to push
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — the underground
  12. press — a publisher
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — the season
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — a company
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fall — to drop
  23. firm — steady
  24. mouse — the animal

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