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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a word
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — newspapers
  14. root — the cause
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — to keep secret

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