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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. press — to push
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — a publisher
  11. march — music
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — of a word
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a document
  20. march — the month
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chip — to eat
  23. root — the cause
  24. cell — a phone

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