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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. clip — for paper
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — shares
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stock — goods
  12. clip — to cut
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mine — for digging
  15. press — to push
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. clip — a video
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stand — for spectators

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