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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lie — to recline
  6. press — to push
  7. board — to get on
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. season — in sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. season — of the year
  13. press — a publisher
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. pit — in a race
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — to wash
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pop — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — rain
  24. pit — a hole

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