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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — high quality
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — of a word
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fine — all right
  12. last — finally
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — magic
  15. press — a publisher
  16. suit — to fit
  17. roll — a list
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — final
  22. press — to push
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. root — the cause

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