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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — to push
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rest — a break
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. content — happy
  19. mug — a face
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — the amount
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — a container

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