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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. object — a thing
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. season — in sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. object — to protest
  10. rule — a law
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rule — government
  13. root — the cause
  14. season — of the year
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. face — to confront
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. object — an aim
  22. press — newspapers
  23. face — to point toward
  24. root — of a word

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