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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — a city
  6. root — the cause
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to click
  12. capital — money
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — magic
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pound — a weight
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. press — newspapers
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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