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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.

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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: craft · press · mouse · tube · bound · bat · can · arm

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — the underground
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. press — to push
  21. can — a tin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bound — certain

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