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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. press — a publisher
  5. charge — electricity
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — newspapers
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. charge — a price
  10. squash — to crush
  11. charge — in control
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. squash — the sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — in a road
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — a path
  22. press — to push
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fork — a garden tool

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