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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: rock · deal · press · lean · roll · sharp · last · bound

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. last — final
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. last — finally
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — thin
  16. bound — tied together
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — newspapers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. press — to push
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — a stone
  24. roll — a cake

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