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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — army training
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — a permit
  7. press — to push
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. drill — a practice
  16. root — of a plant
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — the tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. march — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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