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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. press — to push
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — in football
  5. press — a publisher
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. spring — the season
  8. land — a country
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wind — moving air
  14. land — ground
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. spring — a coil
  19. fine — all right
  20. land — to come down
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — to turn a key

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