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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rest — what's left
  4. band — a ring
  5. spring — of water
  6. band — a music group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. stand — to bear
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — to keep track
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. spring — the season
  16. root — the cause
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. press — to push
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rest — a break
  24. plane — a tool

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