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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bound — tied together
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. march — the month
  8. press — newspapers
  9. net — in sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — a series
  13. press — to push
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. net — for catching
  16. march — music
  17. dip — to sink
  18. root — the cause
  19. bound — obliged
  20. march — the month
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. rash — on the skin

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