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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 120 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. press — a publisher
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — to push
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lean — to bend
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — in football
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lean — to rest against

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