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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — rain
  5. deal — to handle
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — newspapers
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — a friend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. scale — in music
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — size or range
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. press — to push
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. press — a publisher
  24. deal — a big deal

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