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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: tube · spring · press · mug · spell · root · fan · lean

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. root — the cause
  3. lean — thin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — newspapers
  6. spell — a short time
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — a container
  9. root — of a word
  10. spell — magic
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a face
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a cup
  18. spell — letters
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. root — of a plant

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