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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. press — to push
  3. root — of a word
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — a position
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. root — the cause
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chip — for betting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hide — to keep secret

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