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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. press — to push
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — to paddle
  5. club — for dancing
  6. root — of a plant
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — newspapers
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. snap — to click
  14. object — an aim
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. root — of a word
  17. club — a group
  18. object — to protest
  19. root — the cause
  20. file — a tool
  21. press — a publisher
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — for golf

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