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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — of the year
  6. degree — an amount
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — there
  9. press — a publisher
  10. present — the time now
  11. season — in sport
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a song
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — to bend
  20. present — a gift
  21. track — a path
  22. press — to push
  23. degree — temperature
  24. season — to add flavour

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