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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: net · rush · tube · ball · press · saw · bear · wound

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. tube — a container
  6. wound — an injury
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — to push
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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