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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — the cause
  4. stock — shares
  5. press — to push
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — goods
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. root — of a plant
  15. can — a tin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — help
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. root — of a word
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fork — in a road

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