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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — a publisher
  3. present — a gift
  4. land — ground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. root — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. land — to come down
  9. present — the time now
  10. land — a country
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. root — the cause
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. present — there
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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