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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kid — child
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lean — thin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. press — to push
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. press — a publisher
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — music
  24. perch — the fish

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