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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to bend
  5. press — to push
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pit — a hole
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lean — thin
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. swing — to play on

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