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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cue — a signal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. drill — the tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. root — the cause
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cue — for pool
  21. drill — army training
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. drill — a practice

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