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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — letters
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — certain
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a word
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. race — humankind
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — of a plant
  15. snap — to click
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — obliged
  18. race — a contest
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bound — tied together
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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