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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a match
  3. press — a publisher
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. game — wild animals
  11. press — to push
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lean — thin
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. ball — a great time

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