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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · press · lean · toast · wind · current · kick · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. toast — bread
  5. kick — in football
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. land — to come down
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. press — to push
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. press — a publisher
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. land — a country
  23. lean — thin
  24. land — ground

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