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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — to sink
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. current — of water
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — newspapers
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. current — electric
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — a publisher

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