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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. squash — to crush
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. root — of a word
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — a tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. press — a publisher
  18. game — a match
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. squash — the sport
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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