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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — the cause
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — to push
  11. root — of a word
  12. wound — an injury
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mine — for digging
  18. saw — the tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mark — a grade
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. root — of a plant

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