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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. firm — a company
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. kick — in football
  8. lean — thin
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lean — to bend
  11. firm — steady
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. present — there
  21. press — a publisher
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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