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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — to confront
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. club — for golf
  11. pit — a hole
  12. press — newspapers
  13. club — for dancing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. degree — from a university
  17. face — part of the head
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. degree — temperature
  20. club — a group
  21. season — in sport
  22. degree — an amount
  23. press — to push
  24. season — of the year

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