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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: press · root · spell · straw · bound · cap · safe · hand

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bound — certain
  4. root — of a word
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — the cause
  7. hand — in cards
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spell — magic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. spell — letters
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bound — tied together
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. press — to push
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hand — help
  22. root — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. safe — out of danger

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