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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bank — for money
  3. face — to point toward
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — of the year
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — to trim
  9. season — in sport
  10. face — to confront
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. prune — to trim
  21. root — of a word
  22. press — a publisher
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bank — for money

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