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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — soda
  4. press — to push
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pop — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. trunk — of a car

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