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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — after costs
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chest — a box
  20. kid — child
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chest — of your body

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