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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: safe · tube · march · press · root · last · hand · chair

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. last — finally
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. last — to go on
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — help
  9. press — to push
  10. root — of a plant
  11. last — final
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — the underground
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — a publisher
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. tube — a container
  23. march — the month
  24. root — the cause

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