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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. present — the time now
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — obliged
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — to come from
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — goods
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bound — certain
  17. stock — shares
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. root — the cause
  21. present — a gift
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. root — of a plant

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