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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — thin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. press — to push
  8. board — to get on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — a committee
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. press — a publisher
  24. net — in sport

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