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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. face — to confront
  4. content — the amount
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — a publisher
  12. face — part of the head
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — a contest
  17. face — to point toward
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. press — to push
  20. race — the arms race
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — happy
  24. press — newspapers

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