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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · wind · racket · cabinet · tube · ruler

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. tube — a container
  4. wind — moving air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. tube — the underground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — newspapers

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