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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. present — a gift
  3. chest — of your body
  4. press — newspapers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chest — a box
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — a publisher
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. press — to push
  17. present — the time now
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. present — there
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lean — thin

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