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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. root — of a plant
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — newspapers
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — for digging
  9. squash — the sport
  10. root — of a word
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. press — to push
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — the cause
  24. lie — an untruth

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