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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — finally
  5. hand — in cards
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. court — of law
  9. press — to push
  10. court — of a king
  11. last — final
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. hand — help
  17. last — to go on
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — thin
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — all right
  24. craft — a skill

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