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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. press — a publisher
  3. present — the time now
  4. press — to push
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — there
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lean — thin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pit — a hole
  21. clip — a video
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lie — to recline

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