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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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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: press · tear · vault · club · foot · mouse · present · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. club — for dancing
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. press — to push
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — a publisher
  15. present — the time now
  16. press — newspapers
  17. foot — a measure
  18. present — a gift
  19. club — for golf
  20. tube — a container
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. club — a group
  23. present — there
  24. mouse — the animal

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