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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: mouse · stem · tube · hand · last · rock · wind · press

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. rock — music
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hand — in cards
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. tube — a container
  17. last — to go on
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. hand — help
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — to come from
  23. press — a publisher
  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