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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. deal — to handle
  4. spell — magic
  5. pass — a permit
  6. swing — to play on
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mark — a trace
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — the cause
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. swing — music
  21. toast — bread
  22. root — of a word
  23. press — to push
  24. swing — in golf

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