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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. press — to push
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — to confront
  11. cue — for pool
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a dance
  14. tube — a container
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — a signal
  17. snap — to click
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cue — a hint
  20. face — part of the head
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pitcher — a jug

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