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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. root — of a word
  4. present — there
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — of a plant
  9. hand — help
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. band — a ring
  13. press — a publisher
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — the time now
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hand — in cards
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — the cause
  20. press — to push
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. dip — a sauce

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