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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pass — a permit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. press — to push
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spring — of water
  17. mate — a friend
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — the season
  22. root — the cause
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — a partner

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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