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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. club — a group
  9. face — to point toward
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. face — to confront
  13. tube — a container
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. can — to be able to
  21. last — final
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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