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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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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: toast · last · tube · snap · drill · bat · press · foot

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. snap — to click
  3. press — to push
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tube — the underground
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. drill — army training
  9. last — final
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. toast — bread
  17. press — a publisher
  18. foot — a measure
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bat — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bat — for baseball

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