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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. press — newspapers
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fine — all right
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bound — certain
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — to push
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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