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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — newspapers
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. swing — to play on
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — a publisher
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — to push

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