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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — a break
  4. root — of a word
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — newspapers
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. shower — rain
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stem — to come from
  22. press — to push
  23. face — to point toward
  24. shower — to wash

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