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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. degree — from a university
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pit — a hole
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — thin
  20. press — to push
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pit — in a race
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. march — the month

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