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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. chest — a box
  3. cap — a hat
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. present — there
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — the time now
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chest — of your body
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. foot — a measure
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a lid
  22. root — of a word
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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