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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. press — to push
  10. bound — obliged
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — tied together
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. root — of a word
  20. bound — certain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chest — of your body
  24. root — the cause

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