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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — to wash
  3. row — to paddle
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. cue — a signal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — the cause
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. press — to push
  13. swing — in golf
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. cue — a hint
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. lean — to bend
  22. swing — to play on
  23. press — a publisher
  24. saw — the tool

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