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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ball — a great time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — to push
  11. hand — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — newspapers
  15. craft — boats
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. lie — to recline

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