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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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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: pop · present · trunk · bear · tube · patient · press · bat

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. present — there
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pop — music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pop — to visit
  14. present — the time now
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — a gift
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — a container
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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