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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. spell — letters
  6. rest — a break
  7. swing — in golf
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. press — to push
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — magic
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — a safe
  24. swing — music

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