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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. chest — a box
  5. press — newspapers
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — a container
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. press — to push
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — out of danger

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