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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. root — of a word
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. present — there
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — the cause
  11. mine — for digging
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. stand — to bear
  23. press — to push
  24. board — a flat piece

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