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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 124 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. root — the cause
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. root — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ball — a great time
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — of a word
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rash — a series
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a round shape

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