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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. plane — a tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — a container
  20. chair — a leader
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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