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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — to confront
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — completely
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bat — the animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to point toward
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. leaves — lets stay

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