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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. shower — to wash
  6. race — a contest
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chair — a leader
  11. root — the cause
  12. press — newspapers
  13. shower — rain
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. race — humankind
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. race — the arms race
  19. press — to push
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  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