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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. press — a publisher
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lean — thin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. field — for sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. press — to push
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. field — a subject
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — boats
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — for digging
  21. craft — a skill
  22. field — farmland
  23. pit — in a race
  24. deal — an agreement

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