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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — in control
  8. cap — a lid
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lean — thin
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — a price
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cap — a hat
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cap — of ice
  21. perch — the fish
  22. court — for sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. court — of a king

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