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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lean — thin
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. sharp — clever
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. press — to push
  22. toast — bread
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. calf — a young animal

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