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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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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: root · bear · press · hand · bulb · chest · deal · bark

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. root — the cause
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — to push
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. chest — a box
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. root — of a plant
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. root — of a word
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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