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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. ground — the earth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. can — a tin
  11. face — to confront
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tube — a container
  17. ground — crushed
  18. can — to be able to
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. press — to push
  22. face — to point toward
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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