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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. lean — thin
  4. press — to push
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rest — a break
  9. rule — government
  10. field — farmland
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — all right
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — a subject
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — a position
  24. lean — to rest against

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