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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kick — in football
  3. lean — thin
  4. land — to come down
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. press — to push
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lean — to bend

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