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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 116 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — to push
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. root — the cause
  14. deal — to handle
  15. scale — size or range
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. root — of a word
  22. scale — in music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. lean — to bend

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