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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 116 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: root · press · saw · game · hide · rush · bulb · mouse

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. root — the cause
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — of a word
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rush — hurry
  13. press — newspapers
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. root — of a plant
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — to push
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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