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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. can — a tin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. can — to be able to
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. last — finally
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. press — a publisher
  19. last — final
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. last — to go on
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

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