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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: wound · can · nail · tube · fork · capital · dip · press

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tube — a container
  4. press — newspapers
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — a tin
  9. capital — money
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — to be able to
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. press — to push
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. capital — a city
  21. tube — the underground
  22. dip — to sink
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wound — an injury

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