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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 · press · game · rule · sharp · mouse · plane · snap

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rule — government
  8. game — a match
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. game — wild animals
  14. plane — a tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. press — to push
  21. snap — to click
  22. rule — a law
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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