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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: mug · fall · trunk · chair · root · pound · press · tube

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tube — a container
  5. fall — to drop
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — to rob
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — a leader
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mug — a face
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fall — the season
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. press — a publisher
  23. root — the cause
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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