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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — in sport
  4. roll — a cake
  5. root — of a word
  6. press — to push
  7. season — of the year
  8. spring — the season
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. roll — a list
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. last — final
  17. root — of a plant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fan — a supporter

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