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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: rush · trunk · tube · net · row · press · bat · roll

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. press — a publisher
  4. row — to paddle
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — for catching
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — to push
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. roll — a list
  12. press — newspapers
  13. row — a line
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bat — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. net — after costs
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bat — in an idiom

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