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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: press · saw · cap · firm · can · chest · tube · plane

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. cap — a lid
  5. chest — of your body
  6. press — a publisher
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — of ice
  9. press — to push
  10. firm — a company
  11. cap — a hat
  12. firm — decided
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. firm — steady
  21. chest — a box
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — a tool
  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