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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. drill — the tool
  5. march — the month
  6. toast — bread
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — a price
  10. march — music
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. charge — electricity
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. charge — in control
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. press — newspapers
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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