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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — the earth
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. key — for a lock
  9. ground — a position
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lean — to bend
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — thin
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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