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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. press — to push
  4. cap — a hat
  5. object — a thing
  6. face — to point toward
  7. root — of a word
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — a publisher
  15. object — to protest
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. wound — an injury
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. root — the cause
  22. press — newspapers
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cap — of ice

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