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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — in music
  12. fork — in a road
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — the underground
  15. press — newspapers
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — a container
  19. press — a publisher
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. squash — to crush

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