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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. root — of a plant
  3. lean — thin
  4. tear — to rip
  5. charge — electricity
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chip — for betting
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chip — to eat
  12. root — the cause
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. root — of a word
  17. bat — the animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. charge — in control
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — newspapers
  24. tear — from crying

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