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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. content — the amount
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tube — a container
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ball — a great time
  14. tube — the underground
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — to push
  21. content — happy
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. ball — a round shape

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