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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. press — a publisher
  3. land — a country
  4. deal — to handle
  5. snap — to click
  6. squash — the sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — a series
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — to come down
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — ground
  19. rash — hasty
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. squash — to crush
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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