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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — a publisher
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pop — music
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. press — to push
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pop — soda
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pound — a weight
  17. press — newspapers
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pound — for dogs

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