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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 · lean · fall · pass · ground · key · press · cell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. key — in music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — the season
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — a phone
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — to push
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — for a lock
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pass — a permit
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lean — to bend

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