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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wax — to grow
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — newspapers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. tube — a container
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — to push
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — to sink
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — a publisher

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