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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. foot — a measure
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — for betting
  12. face — to confront
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. face — part of the head
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. vault — a safe
  21. press — to push
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. chip — to eat
  24. face — to point toward

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