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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rest — a break
  8. bound — certain
  9. suit — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. lie — to recline
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bound — tied together
  20. press — to push
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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