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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fork — in a road
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a plant
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. root — the cause
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. root — of a word

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