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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. press — a publisher
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. root — of a word
  11. cell — a phone
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. press — newspapers

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