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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. net — in sport
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. object — a thing
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. object — an aim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. fine — all right
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — a publisher
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — high quality
  18. net — for catching
  19. press — to push
  20. object — to protest
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fine — a penalty

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