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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. face — to confront
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. stock — shares
  6. spring — the season
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. face — to point toward
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. press — to push
  16. spring — of water
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. suit — in cards
  19. press — newspapers
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stock — goods
  22. face — part of the head
  23. press — a publisher
  24. ball — a round shape

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