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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. kick — in football
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. toast — bread
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — to push
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. game — a match
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lean — thin
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — a sick person

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