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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.

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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — the cause
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. current — electric
  9. lie — to recline
  10. root — of a word
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — for sport
  13. press — newspapers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a plant
  17. field — farmland
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. capital — money
  24. field — a subject

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