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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lean — thin
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — a break
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. press — a publisher
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — newspapers
  24. arm — part of the body

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