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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. press — a publisher
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — to push
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — a signal
  12. degree — from a university
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cue — a hint
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cue — for pool
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — the cause
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. degree — an amount
  24. press — newspapers

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