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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 116 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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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: ruler · object · stand · chip · lean · pound · press · kick

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. object — a thing
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lean — thin
  8. kick — in football
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. object — to protest
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chip — for betting
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — to bear
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. object — an aim
  22. press — to push
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ruler — for measuring

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