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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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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. press — to push
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stock — shares
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. face — part of the head
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — goods
  16. foot — a measure
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bound — certain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. calf — a young 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