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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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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — the cause
  4. press — to push
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. root — of a word
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. shower — to wash
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — child
  17. shower — rain
  18. kid — to tease

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