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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — thin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. land — a country
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lean — to bend
  13. land — to come down
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — a publisher
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — ground
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. tube — a container

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