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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. press — newspapers
  3. spell — magic
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lie — to recline
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lean — to bend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — letters
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. press — to push
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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