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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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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 · press · cue · court · wound · lean · temple · net

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tube — the underground
  7. court — of law
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cue — a signal
  10. net — for catching
  11. press — to push
  12. lean — to bend
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — thin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cue — a hint
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — after costs
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. tube — a container

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