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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bass · straw · press · rule · cell · root

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cell — a phone
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cell — in biology
  5. root — the cause
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. press — to push
  10. root — of a word
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rule — a law
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rule — government

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