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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — to push
  3. root — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. root — of a word
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — to recline
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. track — a path
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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