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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. press — to push
  9. root — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a word
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pound — a weight
  24. root — the cause

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