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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: tube · press · dip · rush · face · bay · pound · plane

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — hurry
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. press — to push
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tube — a container
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pound — a weight
  19. face — to confront
  20. tube — the underground
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pound — to hit hard

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