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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bass — low music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pit — a hole
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. press — newspapers
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bass — the fish
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — employees
  20. press — to push
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — a container

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