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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — clothes
  4. key — in music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. clip — for paper
  10. key — the most important part
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — in cards
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — to cut
  16. lean — thin
  17. clip — a video
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — to recline
  21. march — the month
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. land — to come down

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