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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · press · season · sharp · racket · cabinet · leaves · lean

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. season — of the year
  14. press — a publisher
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. press — newspapers

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