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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — a position
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — the earth
  9. drill — army training
  10. ground — crushed
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. press — newspapers
  13. toast — bread
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — to push
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cell — a phone
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. press — a publisher
  23. cell — in biology
  24. lie — an untruth

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