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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. press — to push
  7. bat — the animal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — thin
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. press — a publisher
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. root — the cause
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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