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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rush — hurry
  5. root — of a plant
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. root — the cause
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — music
  12. bound — certain
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. press — to push
  17. bound — tied together
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. kick — in football
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kick — a thrill

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