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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. face — to confront
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. face — to point toward
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — decided
  7. rest — what's left
  8. firm — steady
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rest — a break
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rest — what's left
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a skill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. firm — a company
  24. hide — to keep secret

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