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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 124 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — a trace
  7. root — of a word
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — the cause
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. content — happy
  24. press — a publisher

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