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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — happy
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. press — newspapers
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. press — to push
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — a container
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. press — a publisher
  24. coach — a trainer

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