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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. stock — goods
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. press — to push
  8. cap — a lid
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stock — shares
  14. stand — to bear
  15. press — newspapers
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stand — for spectators

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