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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. press — newspapers
  5. lean — thin
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. last — to go on
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. charge — a price
  12. last — final
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — moving air
  20. press — to push
  21. bound — tied together
  22. press — a publisher
  23. charge — in control
  24. wind — moving air

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