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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 116 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: tube · file · bass · press · dip · fan · kid · drill

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — a publisher
  8. bass — low music
  9. drill — army training
  10. press — to push
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a document
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kid — child
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bass — the fish
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tube — the underground
  24. file — a tool

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