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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. roll — a cake
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — to push
  6. object — to protest
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. swing — to play on
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lean — thin
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. swing — music
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. object — an aim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — a thing
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to bend
  24. press — newspapers

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