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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. press — a publisher
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — to push
  19. lean — thin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mark — to pay attention

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