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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: rule · wind · present · object · tube · hand · mine · press

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — help
  10. present — there
  11. press — a publisher
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. present — a gift
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. present — the time now
  21. object — to protest
  22. rule — government
  23. wind — moving air
  24. object — an aim

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