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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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468
Word bank
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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: press · root · pitch · wake · bay · hand · face · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — completely
  10. face — part of the head
  11. press — to push
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. press — a publisher
  17. root — the cause
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. face — to confront

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