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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. tube — a container
  5. firm — steady
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — a company
  9. swing — music
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wind — moving air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. season — in sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. firm — decided
  18. swing — in golf
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wind — moving air

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