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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 120 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: saw · ball · rest · press · tube · vault · lean · mouse

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a dance
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ball — a great time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. press — a publisher
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lean — to rest against
  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