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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 120 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. press — newspapers
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. root — the cause
  10. band — a ring
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — a publisher
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bank — of a river
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. press — to push
  20. tear — to rip
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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