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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
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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: lean · foot · bark · wind · press · land · saw · object

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. press — a publisher
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. object — an aim
  8. lean — thin
  9. land — a country
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — a thing
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lean — to bend
  18. land — to come down
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. land — ground
  23. bark — to shout
  24. object — to protest

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