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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. lean — thin
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — a thing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lean — to bend
  17. press — newspapers
  18. perch — the fish
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. object — an aim
  23. can — to be able to
  24. perch — for a bird

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