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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.

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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: fork · wound · cap · rest · rule · lean · tube · press

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. press — newspapers
  3. lean — thin
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — a law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. tube — a container
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — government
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fork — to eat with

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