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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.

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: tube · bulb · game · root · spring · press · present · dip

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — the season
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — of water
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. dip — to sink
  14. present — the time now
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. press — to push
  20. game — wild animals
  21. press — a publisher
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. press — newspapers

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