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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — to visit
  3. snap — to click
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. press — a publisher
  7. face — part of the head
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. press — to push
  11. face — to point toward
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — to confront
  16. root — the cause
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pop — soda
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. root — of a word
  24. pop — music

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