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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. court — of a king
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. firm — a company
  8. root — the cause
  9. lie — to recline
  10. root — of a word
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. firm — decided
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. court — of law
  24. deal — to handle

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