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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. capital — money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rule — a law
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. capital — a city
  20. rule — government
  21. root — of a plant
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — a monarch

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