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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — a publisher
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — to bend
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lean — thin
  13. field — for sport
  14. chip — for betting
  15. field — farmland
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spell — magic
  21. field — a subject
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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