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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — a short time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. spell — letters
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. swing — in golf
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. swing — music
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — newspapers
  17. root — the cause
  18. spell — magic
  19. season — of the year
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. swing — to play on
  22. root — of a plant
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. press — to push

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