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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: spell · game · press · cell · craft · deal · root · wound

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. press — newspapers
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cell — a phone
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. game — a match
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. root — the cause
  14. spell — a short time
  15. press — to push
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. craft — boats
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. press — a publisher
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cell — in biology

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