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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.

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: stick · wound · chest · bass · rush · lean · press · tube

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lean — thin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — to push
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — hurry
  16. tube — a container
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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