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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. chest — a box
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — of your body
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — to push
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rock — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. chest — of your body
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tube — a container
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cell — a phone

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