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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. press — a publisher
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chair — a leader
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — the cause
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — of a word
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — newspapers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — to be able to
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — the tool

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