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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. can — to be able to
  3. press — a publisher
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. kid — to tease
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. tube — the underground
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — to push
  15. rule — government
  16. bank — of a river
  17. press — newspapers
  18. spring — of water
  19. bank — for money
  20. spring — a coil
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — child
  23. rule — a law
  24. drill — army training

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