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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — of a plant
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. root — of a word
  15. hand — help
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. object — an aim
  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