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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 120 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: root · press · spring · tube · bear · stand · lean · game

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. press — newspapers
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — to bear
  12. root — of a word
  13. lean — to bend
  14. press — a publisher
  15. root — the cause
  16. spring — a coil
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. game — a match
  19. press — to push
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. lean — thin
  23. spring — of water
  24. game — wild animals

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