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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
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: deal · game · bore · face · spell · straw · press · root

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. root — the cause
  19. bore — to tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. spell — magic
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. face — part of the head
  24. press — to push

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