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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. tube — the underground
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. spell — letters
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — to push
  20. sharp — clever
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mug — a face
  23. tube — a container
  24. press — newspapers

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