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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — a container
  3. capital — a city
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fall — the season
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — a publisher
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kick — in football
  14. press — to push
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mark — a grade
  18. press — newspapers
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kick — a thrill

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