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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. press — to push
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — a publisher
  10. can — a tin
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. degree — from a university
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. face — to confront
  21. mug — a face
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bulb — for light

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