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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — a short time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. root — of a word
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bound — tied together
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. press — to push
  16. bound — certain
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. sharp — clever
  20. deal — to handle
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bound — obliged
  23. press — a publisher
  24. root — the cause

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