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

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stock — goods
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. file — a document
  14. pop — soda
  15. stock — shares
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pop — to visit
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — to push
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — music

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