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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
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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: last · lie · tube · press · game · fork · swing · dip

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. game — a match
  6. last — to go on
  7. swing — music
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. last — final
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. press — to push
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lie — to recline
  19. tube — the underground
  20. game — wild animals
  21. last — finally
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — in golf
  24. dip — to sink

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