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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. root — the cause
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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