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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. kick — in football
  4. lean — to bend
  5. sharp — clever
  6. race — a contest
  7. present — a gift
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. press — to push
  11. lean — thin
  12. present — there
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — the time now
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — electric
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — the arms race
  24. leaves — of a tree

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