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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spring — the season
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. last — final
  6. spring — a coil
  7. last — finally
  8. branch — a division
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — a hint
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spring — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. root — the cause
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. press — to push
  24. branch — of a bank

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