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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — to play on
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. chest — of your body
  17. press — to push
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lean — thin
  21. press — a publisher
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — music
  24. press — newspapers

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