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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: stand · object · root · chest · drill · tube · ruler · season

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chest — of your body
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. root — the cause
  9. object — a thing
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. drill — army training
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. chest — of your body
  23. root — of a word
  24. drill — a practice

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