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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. press — to push
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — a company
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. lean — thin
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rest — a break
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. press — a publisher

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