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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — for catching
  4. pit — a hole
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. press — newspapers
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — certain
  11. press — to push
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — tied together
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pound — for dogs
  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