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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. snap — to click
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — to grow
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. press — newspapers
  24. wax — in the ear

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