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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 124 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — part of the head
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lean — to bend
  8. face — to confront
  9. stand — to bear
  10. last — finally
  11. press — to push
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. last — final
  17. perch — the fish
  18. last — to go on
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lean — thin
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — newspapers
  24. nail — for a hammer

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