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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.

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: object · face · press · vault · row · tube · patient · file

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. tube — a container
  4. face — to confront
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — newspapers
  7. face — part of the head
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. press — a publisher
  14. object — an aim
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — to protest
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — to push
  21. vault — a safe
  22. face — to point toward
  23. object — a thing
  24. row — a line

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