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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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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: club · ruler · lean · stick · stock · kick · lie · press

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. club — for golf
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stock — shares
  11. lie — to recline
  12. press — a publisher
  13. club — a group
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lean — thin
  17. stock — goods
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kick — in football
  24. press — newspapers

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