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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hand — help
  3. press — to push
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. file — a tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. file — a document
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. root — the cause
  23. clip — a video
  24. tube — a container

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