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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — of a word
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. spring — a coil
  6. saw — the tool
  7. root — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — to bend
  13. press — to push
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. root — the cause
  17. spring — the season
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — thin
  24. branch — of a tree

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