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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. fall — the season
  6. club — a group
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — a trace
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wound — an injury
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. fall — to drop
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — newspapers
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — a grade
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. press — to push
  24. club — for golf

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