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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: mate · pitch · leaves · lean · stick · drill · wind · press

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitch — completely
  5. press — a publisher
  6. drill — army training
  7. press — newspapers
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — to push
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lean — to rest against

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