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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 116 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a grade
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. firm — a company
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — decided
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — a trace
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. firm — steady

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