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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. object — to protest
  4. press — to push
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. lean — thin
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. face — to confront
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — part of the head
  17. press — a publisher
  18. suit — clothes
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — in cards
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. suit — to fit

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