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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 116 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: bank · spring · perch · tube · press · firm · staff · track

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — for money
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — to keep track
  7. spring — a coil
  8. track — a song
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tube — a container
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — decided
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — of a river
  16. press — to push
  17. staff — a stick
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. press — newspapers
  21. firm — steady
  22. track — a path
  23. tube — the underground
  24. spring — the season

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