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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. root — the cause
  3. rash — a series
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rash — hasty
  7. root — of a word
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. press — to push
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — the fish
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wave — of the sea

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