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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — clothes
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. land — a country
  15. bank — for money
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. land — ground
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — a publisher
  24. lie — an untruth

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