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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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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. file — a line of people
  14. root — the cause
  15. rush — hurry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. press — to push
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — of a word

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