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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. press — to push
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lie — to recline

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