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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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Word bank
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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. prune — to trim
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fine — high quality
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. press — to push
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wake — a trail
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fine — all right
  21. press — a publisher
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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