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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: chair · mine · dip · tear · root · press · pop · mouse

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. press — newspapers
  6. root — the cause
  7. chair — a leader
  8. tear — from crying
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pop — soda
  14. root — of a word
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pop — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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