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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. toast — bread
  3. press — a publisher
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. root — of a word
  6. chair — a leader
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lean — thin
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fork — in a road
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. root — the cause
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. press — to push
  19. roll — a list
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. roll — a cake
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. press — newspapers

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