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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — of a plant
  4. hand — help
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — to push
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — the cause
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — newspapers
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. press — a publisher
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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