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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. face — to confront
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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