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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wind — moving air
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — to push
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. press — a publisher
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fall — the season
  19. land — a country
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. land — ground
  22. fall — to drop
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. land — to come down

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