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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. root — of a word
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bank — for money
  6. press — to push
  7. object — an aim
  8. bank — for money
  9. root — of a plant
  10. root — the cause
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tube — a container
  17. tear — to rip
  18. press — a publisher
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. tube — in a tire
  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