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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mate — to breed
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — low music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. press — newspapers
  15. craft — boats
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. root — the cause
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cold — an illness

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