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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. press — a publisher
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spell — letters
  14. press — newspapers
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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