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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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. foot — a measure
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — to play on
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bound — tied together
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bound — certain
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. roll — a cake
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lean — thin
  22. press — to push
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hand — part of the body

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