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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. press — to push
  4. mark — a grade
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. tube — the underground
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — a trace
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. club — for golf
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. club — a group
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — a publisher
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. row — a line
  21. cold — not warm
  22. club — for dancing
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cold — an illness

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