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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — to push
  8. present — a gift
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tube — the underground
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — farmland
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. tube — a container
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — there
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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