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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. current — of water
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lean — thin
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wound — an injury
  7. press — a publisher
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — to push
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — a position
  15. current — happening now
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. ground — the earth

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