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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 116 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pop — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. pop — to visit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. press — to push
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cell — in biology
  19. tube — the underground
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tube — a container
  24. land — ground

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