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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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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. race — humankind
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — a break
  8. root — the cause
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. prune — to trim
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — what's left
  17. root — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. root — of a word
  22. staff — employees
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. race — a contest

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