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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. press — newspapers
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to click
  17. press — to push
  18. root — the cause
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — of a river
  24. game — a match

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