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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.

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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — to visit
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. present — the time now
  7. press — to push
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tube — a container
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — soda
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — to come from
  20. present — a gift
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. stem — a stem cell

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