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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — of ice
  6. spring — a coil
  7. cap — a lid
  8. press — a publisher
  9. root — of a plant
  10. spring — of water
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — to push
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. cap — a hat
  20. drill — the tool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bass — low music
  23. root — the cause
  24. foot — part of the body

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