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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lean — thin
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. press — newspapers
  8. field — farmland
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. press — a publisher
  11. field — for sport
  12. content — the amount
  13. march — music
  14. rest — a break
  15. press — to push
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. content — happy
  18. rest — what's left
  19. march — the month
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. march — the month
  22. lean — to bend
  23. field — a subject
  24. foot — a measure

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