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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 valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — a tin
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hand — help
  8. wake — a trail
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. object — an aim
  12. board — to get on
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ground — a position
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — a committee
  20. lean — thin
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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