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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. net — after costs
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — the amount
  6. lean — thin
  7. land — to come down
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. net — in sport
  10. content — happy
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — newspapers
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — hurry
  17. press — to push
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. press — a publisher
  21. land — ground
  22. net — for catching
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. key — the most important part

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