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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — the cause
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wax — to grow
  14. root — of a word
  15. game — a match
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rash — a series
  18. press — a publisher
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — wild animals
  21. press — newspapers
  22. root — of a plant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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