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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — obliged
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bound — tied together
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hand — help
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mug — a face

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