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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. scale — in music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pop — music
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. press — a publisher
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rest — a break
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rest — what's left
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — to visit

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