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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. press — to push
  3. rule — a law
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. face — to confront
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lean — thin
  17. firm — a company
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rule — government
  23. face — part of the head
  24. press — a publisher

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