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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 116 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — a publisher
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — a break
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — ministers

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