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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. root — the cause
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a plant
  8. press — newspapers
  9. root — of a word
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. shower — rain
  22. cap — of ice
  23. shower — to wash
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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