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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: bat · lean · ruler · file · rock · ball · foot · press

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rock — a stone
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. file — a line of people
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. file — a tool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a document
  24. rock — music

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