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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · tube · march · fork · spring · land · press · suit

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. spell — letters
  3. press — newspapers
  4. land — to come down
  5. spell — magic
  6. spring — of water
  7. suit — clothes
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — to push
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. tube — a container
  15. suit — in cards
  16. land — ground
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. suit — to fit
  20. land — a country
  21. spring — the season
  22. tube — the underground
  23. march — the month
  24. spring — a coil

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