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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · plane · present · mate · press · dip · tube · scale

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. press — to push
  3. plane — a tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. present — a gift
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chest — of your body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — the time now
  10. tube — a container
  11. chest — a box
  12. present — there
  13. scale — in music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. tube — the underground

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