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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: spring · press · pit · fall · mine · staff · tube · net

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. fall — the season
  4. staff — employees
  5. spring — of water
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. net — for catching
  15. spring — the season
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mine — for digging
  18. net — in sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. spring — a coil
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pit — in a race
  24. tube — the underground

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