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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. press — to push
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cap — a lid
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cap — of ice
  11. root — of a word
  12. shower — rain
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — music
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — to wash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bound — certain

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