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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. clip — to cut
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. press — to push
  10. key — the most important part
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. clip — a video
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. key — for a lock
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. lean — to bend

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