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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: dip · spell · tube · jam · press · snap · bound · fall

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bound — obliged
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spell — a short time
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spell — letters
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fall — to drop
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. spell — magic
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to click
  22. dip — to sink
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — certain

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