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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. present — there
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spring — a coil
  6. root — of a word
  7. press — a publisher
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spring — the season
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to tire
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. present — a gift
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. present — the time now
  24. root — the cause

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