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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — in sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. press — to push
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. track — a path
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to confront
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a car

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