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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: spell · cell · root · dip · press · mark · rule · straw

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. 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. press — a publisher
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — magic
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cell — in biology
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — a law
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — to push
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. root — of a word
  20. press — newspapers
  21. root — the cause
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cell — a phone
  24. 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