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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. root — of a word
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rule — a law
  8. wound — an injury
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. root — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — the cause
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. scale — in music
  21. rule — government
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. press — to push
  24. bank — of a river

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