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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — completely
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. file — a line of people
  5. press — newspapers
  6. file — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a document
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bank — for money
  21. lean — thin
  22. fall — the season
  23. press — to push
  24. fall — to drop

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