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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: bear · tube · fan · clip · rest · mine · cabinet · press

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. tube — the underground
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. clip — a video
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rest — a break
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — to push
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mine — belonging to me

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