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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. land — a country
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. land — to come down
  12. pop — soda
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — for digging
  16. land — ground
  17. can — a tin
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pop — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mine — an explosive

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