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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — to push
  8. shower — rain
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — a publisher
  15. rock — a stone
  16. press — newspapers
  17. shower — to wash
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to bend

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