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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. field — a subject
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — a coil
  11. field — farmland
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spring — the season
  14. pit — a hole
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — to push
  17. pit — in a race
  18. field — for sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. press — newspapers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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