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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pop — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a line of people
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — to visit
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. net — for catching
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. root — the cause
  16. pop — soda
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. net — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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