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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — a break
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rock — music
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. root — the cause
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — a container
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tube — the underground
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — a trainer

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