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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — to push
  10. bat — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — of a plant
  15. press — a publisher
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball

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