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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.

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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. kick — in football
  5. branch — a division
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tube — a container
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pop — music
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — to push
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — soda
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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