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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. press — to push
  6. drill — a practice
  7. tube — a container
  8. cell — a phone
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. drill — army training
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cell — in biology
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — in a tire

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