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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — newspapers
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — a stone
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — to protest
  22. root — of a word
  23. press — to push
  24. object — a thing

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