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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: press · rock · calf · net · mouse · tube · wake · rule

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — music
  3. net — in sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rule — government
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. press — to push

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