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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — a path
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. root — the cause
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. hand — help
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. press — to push
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. tear — to rip
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — to recline
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — a song

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