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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: hide · race · spring · press · content · tube · bay · root

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. content — happy
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spring — a coil
  6. press — to push
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. root — of a word
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — the cause
  12. race — a contest
  13. root — of a plant
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — the underground
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. race — humankind
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — of water
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — a container

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