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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · press · toast · tear · lie · mate

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. 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. toast — bread
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — in a race
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mate — a friend
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tear — from crying
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — to breed
  18. 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