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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. race — a contest
  4. lean — to bend
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — what's left
  9. shower — rain
  10. press — to push
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. race — the arms race
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — humankind
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — thin

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