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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bound — certain
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rash — a series
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ball — a dance

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