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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bat — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. rest — what's left
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — a short time
  22. root — the cause
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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