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

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lean — to bend
  3. face — part of the head
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mug — a face
  6. rest — a break
  7. press — to push
  8. file — a tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. file — a document
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. row — a line
  13. face — to point toward
  14. row — to paddle
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. lean — thin
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — what's left

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