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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. last — finally
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — to push
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lie — to recline
  7. object — to protest
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pit — in a race
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wax — to grow
  16. last — to go on
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. last — final
  24. lie — an untruth

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