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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — clever
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pound — a weight
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chest — a box
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — to bend
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. chest — of your body
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. present — there

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