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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. press — a publisher
  3. content — happy
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. press — to push
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rest — a break
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — child
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. root — of a word
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. content — the amount
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rest — what's left

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