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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. vault — a safe
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stem — to come from
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — the cause
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. drill — the tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. drill — army training
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. root — of a word
  24. press — newspapers

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