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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 · object · date · face · press · rock · kick · squash

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rock — a stone
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rock — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. object — an aim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. press — to push
  11. face — part of the head
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. press — newspapers
  15. object — a thing
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the sport

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