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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. face — to confront
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — size or range
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. craft — boats
  16. fall — the season
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — to push
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. craft — a skill

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