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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — newspapers
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bass — low music
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. roll — a list
  14. root — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fall — the season
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — to drop

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