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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chest — a box
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spring — the season
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. spring — a coil
  16. press — to push
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — newspapers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. spring — of water
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bank — of a river

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