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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. press — to push
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. can — to be able to
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. root — of a plant
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — certain
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. last — finally
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — to keep track
  21. shower — rain
  22. last — final
  23. root — of a word
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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