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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.

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: clip · coach · bore · tube · press · chip · temple · root

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. press — a publisher
  5. root — the cause
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — to eat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. root — of a word
  10. clip — a video
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a plant
  20. tube — the underground
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. temple — side of the head

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