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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. ground — a position
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stock — shares
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cold — not warm
  10. press — to push
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — thin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ground — the earth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. cold — an illness
  22. charge — a price
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rest — a break

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