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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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Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bass — low music
  4. staff — employees
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ball — a dance
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — a stick
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. press — newspapers
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. saw — the tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. ball — a great time

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