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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · cue · face · pit · fan · press · stand · bat

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. press — a publisher
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. pit — a hole
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — the animal
  15. press — to push
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. cue — for pool
  20. face — to confront
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cue — a signal
  23. stand — to bear
  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