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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — a partner
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. net — in sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. press — to push
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. net — after costs
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mate — to breed
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bear — the animal

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