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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — there
  11. stock — shares
  12. bear — the animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. can — a tin
  22. object — a thing
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. roll — on a roll

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