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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. press — newspapers
  4. root — of a word
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. press — a publisher
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. can — a tin
  18. tear — to rip
  19. root — of a plant
  20. tube — a container
  21. root — the cause
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bat — in an idiom

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