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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — tied together
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — certain
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. press — to push
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bound — obliged
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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