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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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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: bore · file · wind · bowl · rest · tube · press · pass

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — newspapers
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — to push
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. file — a tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — a container
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wind — moving air

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