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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 stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cap — a hat
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tube — the underground
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. tube — a container
  16. press — to push
  17. track — to keep track
  18. charge — in control
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. press — newspapers

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