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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · lean · bat · object · club · ruler

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lean — thin
  5. lean — to bend
  6. object — to protest
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. club — for dancing
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. club — a group
  12. press — newspapers
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — to push
  15. club — for golf
  16. bat — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bat — in an idiom

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