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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. root — of a word
  4. content — happy
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a plant
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. suit — in cards
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — the cause
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. press — a publisher
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — to fit
  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