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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chest — of your body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — of a word
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. root — the cause
  15. chest — a box
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. root — of a plant
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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