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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. root — of a word
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — to wash
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. plane — a tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mark — a trace
  16. branch — a division
  17. press — a publisher
  18. saw — the tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. shower — rain

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