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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a plant
  7. game — a match
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — to push
  10. lie — to recline
  11. root — of a word
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — wild animals
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. root — the cause
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — the season

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