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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. root — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — the cause
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — to eat
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. spell — letters
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. press — a publisher
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — a short time
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. root — of a word
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. press — to push
  24. rush — hurry

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