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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 120 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 button?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. root — of a word
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — the cause
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. root — of a plant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. press — newspapers
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a music group
  17. rash — a series
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cell — in biology
  20. scale — in music
  21. band — a ring
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. suit — to fit

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