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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — the cause
  4. press — a publisher
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. fall — the season
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. ball — a great time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a dance
  13. present — the time now
  14. root — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. press — to push
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fall — to drop
  19. present — there
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. root — of a word
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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