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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chest — of your body
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. face — to point toward
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mug — a face
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to confront
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — a box
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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