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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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. track — a song
  3. present — the time now
  4. root — of a word
  5. press — a publisher
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to point toward
  8. tube — a container
  9. present — there
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — part of the head
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. root — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. staff — a stick
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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