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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 · rest · wound · fine · clip · rush · press · ground

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tube — the underground
  7. ground — crushed
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — a video
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ground — a position
  17. tube — a container
  18. fine — all right
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rest — a break

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