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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — to crush
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — to push
  15. squash — the sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — a division
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. face — part of the head
  21. press — a publisher
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lie — an untruth

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