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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. last — final
  9. face — to point toward
  10. land — ground
  11. root — of a plant
  12. last — finally
  13. root — of a word
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. press — to push
  17. land — a country
  18. last — to go on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. root — the cause

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