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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. field — farmland
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. press — to push
  7. field — a subject
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cap — a lid
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cap — a hat
  21. last — to go on
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. pit — in a race

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