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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — to push
  4. field — for sport
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pit — a hole
  12. staff — employees
  13. field — a subject
  14. press — newspapers
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lie — to recline
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. field — farmland
  24. staff — employees

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