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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. root — of a word
  5. press — to push
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chest — of your body
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — tied together
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. root — of a plant
  19. press — newspapers
  20. chest — of your body
  21. press — a publisher
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — a line
  24. bound — certain

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