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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mine — for digging
  5. object — an aim
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. object — to protest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. press — a publisher
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. mine — an explosive

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