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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a word
  10. press — a publisher
  11. root — of a plant
  12. object — a thing
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — to shout
  18. object — to protest
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. root — the cause
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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