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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cue — a signal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. mug — a face
  9. lean — thin
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. hand — help
  14. firm — a company
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stock — shares
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. press — to push
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cue — for pool
  21. scale — in music
  22. cue — a hint
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hand — in cards

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