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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. key — for a lock
  3. press — a publisher
  4. key — in music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cell — in biology
  8. press — newspapers
  9. root — of a word
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cap — a hat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. root — of a plant
  15. press — to push
  16. rash — a series
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fine — all right
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fine — a penalty

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