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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lean — thin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — newspapers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. press — to push
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — letters
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chest — a box
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your body

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