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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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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: tube · wound · press · stick · board · bulb · file · bay

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. file — a tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. file — a document
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — newspapers
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. wound — an injury

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