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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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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: tear · mouse · game · stand · lean · press · bowl · mark

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stand — to bear
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. game — a match
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mark — a trace
  24. lean — thin

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