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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spring — of water
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. club — for golf
  5. press — to push
  6. root — the cause
  7. spring — the season
  8. club — a group
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. kick — in football
  21. root — of a word
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bowl — a football final

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