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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. last — final
  3. spell — letters
  4. root — of a plant
  5. press — to push
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — the cause
  8. spring — of water
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — the fruit
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — there
  14. spring — the season
  15. last — finally
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — a publisher
  18. spell — a short time
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. present — the time now
  22. root — of a word
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ruler — for measuring

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