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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. root — the cause
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wake — a trail
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. press — newspapers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. root — of a plant
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — thin

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