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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hand — help
  3. root — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. land — to come down
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. root — the cause
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. press — to push
  18. land — a country
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. root — of a word
  22. land — ground
  23. lean — thin
  24. coach — a trainer

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