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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. press — to push
  4. march — the month
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pound — a weight
  7. march — the month
  8. lean — to bend
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mark — a grade
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — thin
  15. march — music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. press — newspapers
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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