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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — of a plant
  6. kid — to tease
  7. press — to push
  8. suit — to fit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stem — to come from
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kid — child

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