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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ground — a position
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. face — to confront
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. club — a group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lean — to bend
  12. club — for golf
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. face — to point toward
  16. club — for dancing
  17. press — to push
  18. stand — to bear
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wax — to grow
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. ground — the earth

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