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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. present — a gift
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fine — all right
  5. lean — thin
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mate — a friend
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fine — high quality
  13. land — ground
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — to push
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — there
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — the time now
  24. pop — music

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