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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — a publisher
  3. root — the cause
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a hint
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — to push
  18. root — of a plant
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — newspapers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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