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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. press — to push
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. root — the cause
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. deal — to handle
  14. press — newspapers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — of a word
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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