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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. press — to push
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stand — to bear
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — the earth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ground — a position
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tube — the underground

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