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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 116 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. press — to push
  8. land — ground
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tube — a container
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — to come down
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. land — a country
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — of a word
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — a publisher
  24. root — the cause

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