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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pop — music
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. press — to push
  14. pop — soda
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bass — low music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pop — to visit
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. press — newspapers

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