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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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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: bear · trunk · calf · cue · race · root · press · tube

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. tube — a container
  4. cue — a hint
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. race — a contest
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a signal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bear — the animal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. root — the cause
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. cue — for pool
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — humankind

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