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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. root — the cause
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mate — to breed
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stand — to bear

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