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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — a company
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bass — low music
  8. firm — decided
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. kid — to tease
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. kid — child
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mouse — for a computer

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