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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. season — in sport
  3. march — the month
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a trace
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. rest — what's left
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. press — to push
  18. march — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. snap — to click
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rest — a break

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