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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. tube — a container
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. ball — a great time
  13. spring — the season
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fork — in a road
  16. spring — a coil
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. press — a publisher
  24. arm — part of the body

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