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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ball — a dance
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chest — of your body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bass — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — to push
  19. game — wild animals
  20. tube — a container
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a match

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