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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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — a thing
  3. shower — rain
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. march — music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chip — for betting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — thin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. lean — to bend
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. shower — to wash
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. march — the month

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