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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 120 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. 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. root — of a word
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — to push
  4. pound — a weight
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spell — letters
  8. craft — boats
  9. press — a publisher
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — the cause
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. 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