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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. press — to push
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — certain
  7. present — the time now
  8. bound — obliged
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. present — there
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — for betting
  13. press — a publisher
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — newspapers
  16. present — a gift
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tube — a container
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — the underground
  21. foot — a measure
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tube — in a tire

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