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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. bound — tied together
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. march — music
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. root — of a word
  16. face — part of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. press — to push
  19. tube — a container
  20. root — the cause
  21. bound — certain
  22. root — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — of a plant

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