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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lean — to bend
  5. clip — to cut
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. fine — all right
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — finally
  16. clip — for paper
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — a video
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kick — in football

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