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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — to push
  5. lean — thin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bank — of a river
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. spell — letters
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — to bend
  17. spell — magic
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in a prison

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