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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spring — a coil
  3. row — to paddle
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. season — of the year
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — a line
  9. season — in sport
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — the season
  13. press — newspapers
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spring — of water
  19. press — to push
  20. capital — money
  21. charge — electricity
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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