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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: mate · mouse · root · bear · hand · row · staff · press

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — a stick
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — help
  9. row — a line
  10. press — newspapers
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. root — the cause
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. row — to paddle

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