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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. craft — boats
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lean — thin
  5. press — to push
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. press — newspapers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bound — certain
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. key — for a lock
  18. snap — to click
  19. key — the most important part
  20. stand — to bear
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to bend
  24. key — in music

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