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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 124 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lean — to bend
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. stem — to come from
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. root — the cause
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. roll — a cake
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. root — of a plant
  18. date — the fruit
  19. band — a ring
  20. roll — a list
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lean — thin
  24. ruler — for measuring

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