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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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 — in a tire
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — steady
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mate — to breed
  6. wind — moving air
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — a friend
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mate — a partner
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — a publisher
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  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