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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. press — to push
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — a match
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — of a plant
  9. track — to keep track
  10. season — in sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. scale — in music
  14. press — a publisher
  15. root — of a word
  16. press — newspapers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — thin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. season — of the year
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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