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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ball — a dance
  3. root — the cause
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. press — to push
  9. ball — a great time
  10. press — a publisher
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. press — newspapers
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — on a finger

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