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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — thin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. press — newspapers
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — to push
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — to bend
  24. toast — bread

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