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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. last — to go on
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bank — for money
  11. fork — in a road
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. last — finally
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. kid — child
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — final

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