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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. press — to push
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — a line
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bear — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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