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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — thin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — the animal
  12. degree — temperature
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wax — to grow
  16. degree — an amount
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. press — to push
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lean — to rest against

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