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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. press — a publisher
  4. root — the cause
  5. spell — a short time
  6. kick — in football
  7. press — to push
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spell — magic
  11. mate — a partner
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — of a plant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — letters
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. row — to paddle
  23. root — of a word
  24. kick — a thrill

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