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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: bass · press · deal · tube · fall · object · can · net

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — the fish
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. object — to protest
  15. fall — the season
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — a thing
  20. can — to be able to
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bass — low music
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — a container

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