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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — letters
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. press — to push
  19. pound — a weight
  20. tube — a container
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. wind — moving air

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