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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 124 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. face — to confront
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. root — the cause
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — help
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bound — certain
  24. bear — to put up with

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