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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stock — goods
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. press — to push
  14. chest — a box
  15. bear — the animal
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. root — of a word
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rock — music
  24. stock — shares

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