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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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. pitch — completely
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rock — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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