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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. net — in sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. content — happy
  9. net — after costs
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. lean — thin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — to get on
  17. content — the amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. net — for catching
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. leaves — lets stay

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