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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — a publisher
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pass — a permit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — to push
  14. root — the cause
  15. spring — a coil
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — of water
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. file — a document
  20. spring — the season
  21. key — in music
  22. file — a tool
  23. root — of a word
  24. bat — for baseball

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