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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. shower — to wash
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — letters
  8. press — newspapers
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — for betting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — a short time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — magic
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — to push
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — what's left
  22. shower — rain
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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