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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spell — letters
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rest — a break
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. rest — what's left
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spell — magic
  11. root — of a word
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — to push
  15. root — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. suit — in cards
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — a video

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