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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: mug · lean · ruler · fan · kid · press · wound · file

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mug — a cup
  7. press — newspapers
  8. lean — thin
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — to tease
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. press — a publisher
  13. file — a tool
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wound — an injury
  21. file — a document
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fan — to cool the air

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