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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chest — a box
  4. press — to push
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kid — child
  8. root — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chest — of your body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. root — the cause
  14. kid — to tease
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chest — of your body
  18. dip — to sink
  19. prune — to trim
  20. tube — a container
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. root — of a word
  23. press — a publisher
  24. dip — to dunk

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