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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. press — to push
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — of water
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. spring — a coil
  10. press — a publisher
  11. scale — in music
  12. root — of a word
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spring — the season
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — the cause
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lean — to bend
  24. press — newspapers

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