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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: press · wound · plane · tear · last · patient · tube · root

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. press — newspapers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tear — to rip
  7. last — final
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a word
  12. last — finally
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — to push
  16. wound — an injury
  17. root — the cause
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — to go on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. tube — in a tire

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