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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. track — a song
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — to push
  9. lean — thin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. present — there
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — a gift
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. track — a path
  19. snap — to click
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. present — the time now
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — to sink
  24. can — a tin

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