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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: foot · sharp · band · press · bore · lean · chest · pop

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lean — thin
  3. bore — to drill
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. chest — of your body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chest — a box
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — to tire
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pop — to visit
  18. press — to push
  19. pop — soda
  20. chest — of your body
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. band — a ring

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