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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fan · wound · content · press · spell · deal · foot · root

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. foot — a measure
  7. content — the amount
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. press — to push
  12. spell — letters
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a word
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. deal — to handle
  18. content — happy
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. root — the cause
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fan — to cool the air

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