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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. press — a publisher
  5. can — to be able to
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. face — part of the head

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