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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cold — not warm
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. craft — a skill
  16. press — a publisher
  17. firm — decided
  18. cold — an illness
  19. firm — steady
  20. kick — in football
  21. fine — high quality
  22. firm — a company
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — to push

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