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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. capital — a city
  6. wake — a trail
  7. key — the most important part
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — the season
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mark — a grade
  13. capital — money
  14. press — newspapers
  15. spring — a coil
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — of water
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wake — before a funeral

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